Hemipeptone (hemi-PEP-tone) is a partially digested protein that contains a mixture of peptides and amino acids. The first part of the word, "hemi", refers to the fact that it is not a complete peptone. The second part, "peptone", comes from the Greek word "peptos", meaning digested. Hemipeptone can be used as a nutrient source for bacteria in laboratory and industrial settings. Its phonetic transcription in the International Phonetic Alphabet is /hɛmɪˈpɛptoʊn/.
Hemipeptone is a term used in the field of biochemistry and organic chemistry to describe a class of partially digested proteins. It refers to a peptide or polypeptide compound that has undergone hydrolysis, resulting in the partial breakdown of the protein structure.
Specifically, hemipeptones are formed when proteins are treated with hydrochloric acid or other proteolytic enzymes that break the peptide bonds linking amino acids together. This chemical or enzymatic process cleaves the protein chain, resulting in the separation of shorter peptide fragments from the original protein molecule.
Hemipeptones are characterized by their intermediate length, occupying a position between long, intact proteins and individual amino acids. They consist of a chain of amino acids held together by peptide bonds but are shorter than a complete peptide or protein sequence.
These partially digested proteins, or hemipeptones, serve as a valuable source of amino acids, which are essential building blocks for various biological molecules. They can be further broken down into individual amino acids through additional hydrolysis, making them readily available for synthesis of new proteins or for other metabolic processes.
Hemipeptones are commonly used in laboratory settings for a variety of applications, such as cell culture media, fermentation processes, and as supplements in nutritional studies. Their use allows for controlled manipulation of protein content, facilitating studies on protein metabolism, digestion, and absorption.
One of the two compounds resulting from the splitting of amphopeptone; upon further digestion it forms tyrosin, leucin, amidoacids, etc.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
The word "hemipeptone" is derived from the combination of two terms: "hemi-" and "peptone".
1. "Hemi-" comes from the Greek word "hēmi-" (ἡμι-), which means "half" or "part". It is used as a prefix in various scientific and technical terms to indicate partiality or incompleteness.
2. "Peptone" is derived from the Greek word "peptos" (πεπτός), which means "digested". It refers to a protein product resulting from the partial hydrolysis of proteins, typically achieved through enzymatic digestion.
Therefore, "hemipeptone" is a term used in biochemistry to describe a partially digested or partially hydrolyzed protein.